


Stay Young, Go Dancing

by occultbat



Series: Introduction to Collective Collections [1]
Category: Community (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:49:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26708530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/occultbat/pseuds/occultbat
Summary: 'Stay Young, Go Dancing' is a short story set sometime after 'Pillows and Blankets' with an alternate ending. It's a bit of fluff and it has some fun elements with the original study group. Mainly focuses on Abed and Troy, so have fun !!!
Relationships: Annie Edison/Jeff Winger, Troy Barnes/Abed Nadir
Series: Introduction to Collective Collections [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1943707
Comments: 2
Kudos: 27





	Stay Young, Go Dancing

**Author's Note:**

> this will be a collection of one-shots that I will be doing for the television series “Community”. Shout-out to my husband for this one!! A one-shot fic based around Troy Barnes and Abed Nadir from “Community” and the song “Stay Young, Go Dancing” by Death Cab For Cutie. I do not own the characters, the series, or the song, this is just a bit of fun and challenge for me to do with my favorite fandom. (I will happily take requests for pairings from community (romance, friendship, etc) + a song or a trope, so feel free to send to me!!)

“Well? What are we going to do about this, Abed?” Shirley asked, her voice unsure with each syllable that came from her lips. Annie and Britta stood to the side cautiously picking feathers and fluff from their hair while Pierce continued to stand way too close to Shirley, mumbling something about how her hair looks wonderful with the little specks of white fluff all throughout. It was an uncomfortable conversation for all of them. Abed considered her question, tilting his head down as feathers tumbled from his pillow hat causing him to frown and launch himself into considerable thought.

“Alright, this has got to end. I just spoke with Troy and honestly I have never seen him so… not-Troy-like.” Jeff announced, immediately commanding the attention of everyone in the vicinity as he strode over to stand beside Annie, quietly helping her get the feathers and fluff she couldn’t reach out of her hair. Abed took note of that, just as he took note of everything that went on around them.

“Abed?”

He looked up, finding five of the six faces of his study group looking at him expectantly. It was Britta who had spoken up. “Abed, sweetie – we just, we’re concerned that this might have gone on for too long. I mean, some of us have actual children we’d love to see…” it was now Shirley’s turn as she fiddled with her hand bag and spoke in her sweetened tone. “You know… before they have babies of their own,” she continued, her tone darkening as she raised both of her brows and leveled him with a look that even he couldn’t deny was a powerful one.

Sighing, Jeff stepped forward and directly into his space, placing his hands firmly onto Abed’s shoulders and forcing the two of them to look at each other. “Abed, we are your friends and we are Troy’s friends. We want what’s best for the both of you. So do you know what that means?” Jeff was trying to be level, trying to be kind – trying to… not sound condescending. And yet…

“Jeff, you don’t have to speak to me like I’m intellectually inept. I can understand and hear you just fine, and I also understand what’s at stake here.” Abed finally spoke – blinking and looking up to meet Jeff’s face with more confidence than Jeff expected. Watching as the taller and older man backed off, turning to look back at the rest of the group, Abed finally addressed them all.

“Thank you all for being concerned about Troy and I’s friendship. It means a lot to me, I want you to know that.” He cast his gaze down towards the floor, watching as a few feathers lifted from a sudden breeze that wafted through the cafeteria – someone, he remembers being Star-Burns, had broken one of the windows in an earlier battle. That’ll be fixed by tomorrow, he thought. Somehow, considering the Dean didn’t have any money to fix it.

Plot hole to figure out later, he mentally added.

“Abed…” Jeff stated, his tone laced with impatience as Abed snapped back to the moment.

“Sorry, Jeff – I was thinking about how the school manages to go back to normal after something like this or like the paintball fights happen.” 

“I’m not going to pretend I understand that, but I see what you mean.” Jeff responded, squinting a bit as he and the rest of the group glanced around themselves.

“A-bed, listen to me,” Pierce cut in, “I have a lot to tell you, and first of all; you’re weird. Second of all, just do what me and my ex-wife did; have sex. It fixes everything, trust me.”

“Yeah, except for your marriage.” Britta muttered to Shirley who giggled, proud of herself for that retort against Pierce.

“I appreciate your input Pierce, but I’m going to have to decline – I have something else in mind. Something better.” Abed raised his brow as he pointed his index finger up and over towards the P.A. system, with a quiet response from Pierce that could barely be audible but sounded something like ‘something better than sex? Gay’. Ignoring him, Abed continued; “Jeff, I need you to get into the Dean’s office and play this - ” he pulled out a disc and passed it over to a confused Jeff, then turned to Annie. “ – Annie, I need you and Shirley to make a clearing in the neutral zones – Britta and Pierce…”Abed paused as the others scrambled to do what they were told and the remaining two stared at him with baited breath.

“Britta, I need you to do what you did for Shirley’s rehearsal wedding, can you do something like that but less wedding?” He asked, causing the blonde to smile warmly at him before nodding and running off to do what she did best. Apparently.

“What about me? You know, I can do anything you ask me to. Of course, I have an idea that would involve a lot of body oil – which reminds me of that one time - ”

“Pierce, let me stop you right there. I saved the best for you. I need you to go and find Troy for me, convince him to come alone to the neutral zone. Can you do that?”

“Is water brown?”

“…Depends.”

“Then you can count on me.” And with that, Pierce was gone (at a glacial pace).

It was sometime later that Abed began to hear the tune of ‘Daylight’ play over the speakers. He’d made for a break of it and ran to the neutral zone where Shirley and Annie stood nervously, opposite of each other at the entrances to both the Pillow-Fort and the Blanket-Fort. Britta had done a very nice job of turning the disastrous area into something that resembled peace and tranquility. Abed smiled at the three women briefly and gave them a nod as Jeff entered the room, giving Abed a look for his choice of music.

“So…” Annie started, biting at her bottom lip as the nerves settled in over her. “What exactly is your plan, Abed?”

Abed turned to her and waited in silence, only raising a brow that seemed to cause the rest of the group to fidget nervously. It wasn’t until sometime later that Abed spoke up, “Jeff, did you put the song on loop?”

“No. You never asked me to do that. Why would I think to do that?”

“Good point.”

“Yeah. I have those all the time.”

Then there was a beat of silence before Abed spoke up again.

“Hey Jeff, can you go and put the song on loop?” A groan escaped Jeff, but he turned on his heel and left the room – quickly followed by Annie who was, to Abed’s observation, looking to follow Jeff at any chance she could get.

“Okay Pierce, I’m coming – please don’t fart again, I’m pretty sure you killed someone back there.” The remaining members of the group turned to look at the Blanket-Fort’s entrance as they all heard Troy’s voice following a muffled grunt by Pierce.

“Okay A-bed, I got him, now what?” Pierce appeared first, his glasses askew as he looked up and over at Abed with a slightly (normal) deranged look in his eyes. Abed didn’t have a chance to respond before Troy popped his head out beside Pierce and looked around the room.

“Britta, Shirley, and… you.” Troy sniffed, pulling himself out and around Pierce who continued to struggle to get up and started to yell while Shirley moved to try to help him. “Alright Abed, you got me out – what now?” crossing his arms over his chest, he tilted his head and regarded his best friend with as much anger and disinterest as he could force. Which wasn’t very authentic.

“Take a look around you, Troy. Listen to the music playing, I’m doing this for you. For us. For our relationship.” Abed stated, splaying out his hands as he took a step back and waited for it all to click into Troy’s mind. As Troy began to look around, Jeff and Annie returned and waited in the doorway of the study room – slash – neutral zone. “Troy, we shouldn’t be fighting like this. This war was callous and uncalled for and I said some things I shouldn’t have. We’re young – let’s dance.” Abed offered his hand, waiting for the other to accept.

It only took Troy a moment to break his anger and to smile at Abed, he stepped forward and took the other’s hand. “Abed, that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me, of course let’s dance.”

Annie and Shirley chorused an ‘aww’ before Britta swatted Pierce off from trying to latch onto her to steady himself. “What’d I miss? Wait – What the hell are they doing?” Pierce asked, squinting over at Troy and Abed.

The two best friends began to dance together – erratically, not at all to the beat of the music, but joyfully. It was Troy and Abed against the world, it was them – staying young, and going dancing.


End file.
